Following rescue of Paislee Shultis upstate, Katie Beers reflects on her abduction experience in 1992
LONG ISLAND -- This week's discovery of a child hidden under a staircase in an Ulster County home, is bringing back troubling memories for another victim.
Three decades ago, the abduction of a little Long Island girl captivated the nation. Katie Beers was imprisoned in an underground bunker for 17 days.
On Wednesday, she offered her perspective to CBS2's Carolyn Gusoff, who covered the Beers case.
"I was very sad for her, but ultimately ecstatic that she was found," Beers said of 6-year-old Paislee Shultis.
The memories came flooding back to Beers. The images of an unthinkable hiding place and soiled blankets were all too familiar.
In 1992, Beers was a little girl at the center of headlines -- kidnapped and chained in darkness as her captor eluded police.
Ultimately, her abductor led investigators to his elaborate underground bunker. The discovery of Paislee hidden under stairs triggered terror.
"Even if she was only held under the stairs for 20 minutes, that is still scary," Beers said.
Paislee was hidden by her biological parents who police believe snatched her in 2019 when they lost custody of the then-4-year-old.
Beers was almost 10 years old and could plead with her captor.
"He was looking at this as he was going to keep me forever, and as a 10-year-old, that was very scary," Beers said.
Beers' advice to well-meaning grownups around Shultis is, "She needs to just be wrapped in love. The best thing for her right now is not be forced to talk about what happened, be able to discuss what happened in her own time."
Beers' psychologist, Mary Bromley, helped her slowly unearth memories, culminating "Buried Memories," a book which Gusoff co-authored. Bromley says children told they are being hidden for their own protection lose trust in the world.
"She has been told to be quiet and to hide during very important developmental years. She will need intensive therapy like Katie Beers, which went on for 10 years," Bromley said.
"When people find out about my story they always give me this look of almost pity and sorrow and that's not at all how I want people to look at me," Beers added.
Rather, she said she wants people to focus on her resilience and how far she has come. She said wishes the same for little Paislee.
Beers lives with her husband and two children in western Pennsylvania.